Dallas Orthodontist Giving Kids a Reason to Smile
Local orthodontist Darin Ward is teaming up with the nonprofit Smiles Change Lives to help children in his community receive braces.
On Oct. 19, Ward and his team will be screening kids for braces for the Smile Changes Lives program. The event will occur from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Face Forward Orthodontics, located at Preston Center.
“We are thrilled to be working with Dr. Ward, who has committed to donate close to $300,000 in orthodontic care to kids in his community,” says Alexis Barclay, Director of Provider Services, Smiles Change Lives. “Thanks to Dr. Ward, we hope to approve 40 kids for braces through our program from this event.”
Smiles Change Lives was created in 1997 by Virginia Brown. As a child, Brown was not able to get orthodontic treatment until high school because her parents could not afford it for all of her children. Brown recalled years of teasing and self-consciousness.
Brown and her son, Tom, created Smiles Changes Lives to try to prevent the physical and emotional difficulties that she experienced as a child.
The program has worked with over 800 orthodontists and treated more than 13,000 children since 1997.
To qualify, a child must be between the ages of 7 – 21, have good oral hygiene, do not currently have braces, have a moderate to severe need for braces, and their family must meet certain financial guidelines. The family must also submit an application fee of $30, and if accepted to program, a fee of $650.
To register or for more information visit smileschangelives.org. Face Forward is located at 6131 Luther Lane, Suite 208.
